MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A Montgomery County judge ordered mediation in the ongoing lawsuit over how Alabama’s new school choice law affects high school athletic eligibility, the latest in a high-profile fight between the Alabama High School Athletic Association and state leaders including Gov. Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter. A temporary restraining order remains in place to allow students to participate in sports if they’re using CHOOSE Act funds to attend schools.

Montgomery Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines announced the mediation order Friday after attorneys for both sides met with him privately for about ten minutes in a conference room adjacent to the courtroom. No arguments were heard in open court. When the parties returned, Gaines said he would send the case to mediation.

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